Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Acts chapter 28, verse 15.

And the brothers there, when they heard about us,

came as far as the form of Apius and three taverns to meet us.

On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

I love that last phrase, really two phrases.

Think about Paul.

At this point in Acts, he has been through so much persecution.

He has been through trials. He's been through shipwreck. And finally he makes it to Rome. And he's under house arrest. So things are not like he would like them to be. But when

he gets there, the brothers, talking about the fellow followers of Christ and the

family of God, come to be with him. And when Paul sees them, it says he thanked God and he

took courage. And I read that. And I think in my own life, I just want to encourage you in your life

to thank God for brothers and sisters in Christ around you. I thank God that you are not alone.

And let's be honest, sometimes in the church we have conflict with brothers and sisters.

And sometimes we can be in situations where we forget to thank God that we are not alone.

And our faith in Christ, Paul felt so alone at so many points. And I know there are brothers and sisters

around the world, maybe even some who are listening to this, who feel pretty alone. And to the

extent of which you have any fellowship with any brother or sister in Christ around you, just to thank

God for that. And to be a source of.

So this is the second part, encouragement to the brothers and sisters around you. This text,

this verse says Paul took courage from just being with these brothers in Christ.

And this is what fellowship in Christ is intended to do.

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